Paying for school...

[Sleepy_Dragon]

So, as a follow up.

I just got off the phone with some other admissions councilor about my decision to not enroll. She said she is required to call to make sure I want to do this (i.e. convince me to  stay), and her methods seemed quite ruthless.

She actually guaranteed me that 5 years from now with no culinary diploma I will be stuck making the same hourly wage I am making now with no big name places giving my application a second look. [...]

I do find it funny that the admissions lady said I'll never get a good job with no diploma, and mentioned big hotels specifically, when I already have a cook job and possibly a supervisor position lined up for June (when I graduate from college + move) thanks to my own connections.

This news article is worth another repost:

"Burnt Chefs: Former admissions representatives at CCA say they preyed on students’ dreams of becoming celebrity chefs and glossed over the painful economic realities of the industry":

http://www.sfweekly.com/2007-06-06/news/burnt-chefs/

The article specifically deals with California Culinary Academy, but note also the mention of Career Education Corporation, the for-profit diploma mill which bought the school in 1999.

This is the same company which owns the Le Cordon Bleus in the US.

Hence the high pressure sales pitches you got.

Here's another, which mentions the link between Career Education Corporation and Texas Culinary Academy:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/08/us/08def...ta1&oref=slogin

Pat

[K8memphis]

I was dead set against Chef-boy going to culinary school in Austin because of the sky high costs and because at that time his primary reasoning was logistics, his girlfriend lived there. He was already in food service. He already had good connections, a good network. He wore his Dad down about it and like I said we lucked out with a great interest rate but man 25 years is a looooong time to pay for school. I feel sure he will have it paid down quicker.

But once ole CB got past the initial rush of school etc. he got near fatal sticker shock. About a month in he wanted to transfer all of it to a four year program blablabla. At that point, Mom put her foot down. Dude-buddy you are going to finish culinary school end of discussion. Believe it or not he listened.

He walked outa Le Cordon Bleu with a 4.0 perfect attendance and the same start up wages he went in with. This with three years in the business already. Not to mention tens of thousands of dollars of debt.

History is still being written but currently he makes more money than anyone else in the family. To be fair though, he works many many more hours too. He is single and devoted and excellent at what he does. Happy too.

A year or two earlier that same school cost a fraction of what he paid for tuition. It should really be investigated. I guess it's a supply & demand thing.

But Kevin, I'm delighted that you are being so careful and thoughtful. Lots and lots of chichi chefs did not go to culinary school.

You can do anything you want to do.